Noah and I sat apprehensively, the music from the party shaking the windows of his fixed up truck.

Admittedly, I didn’t know a whole lot about cars or trucks and I definitely didn’t know what kind of truck he had. However, his truck looked way different than it did before. No longer was it scratched up, faded, and had several dents in random places. In its place was a newly painted deep blue truck with an impeccable body.

The interior was clean and simple – a cab seat, stick shift, and old fashioned. Although it wasn’t one of those luxurious, drool worthy cars, I was awed by the comforting feeling of it all. All in all, I was in love with his truck and not just because it smelled strongly of him in the inside.

 The morning his brother was found brutally beat up, his truck was beat up as well. It was driven into the tree right outside East Carteret High. It was a miracle he and Nick weren’t injured in the car accident, but Noah wasn’t even sure if he drove his truck or not.

The more I knew about what happened during Nick’s death just seemed to make me sicker and more scared. I refused to show this to Noah because I genuinely wanted to help him let go of the weight he’s been carrying for over four months. I was lucky he even shared with me the tiny bits of the event and how he felt. When he didn’t refuse my help, I held onto the opportunity.

That’s how we ended up at this cliché high school party.

“That’s so gross,” I muttered, looking away when a shirtless boy fell into his own puddle of vomit.

Noah smirked, his blue eyes resting on me playfully. “You weren’t saying that when you almost fell into your own vomit – you actually wanted to swim in it. You’re quite the party animal.”

 My face flushed at this embarrassing information. However, before I could retort to his comment, my eyes fell to his hands as it tightened over the steering wheel. His leg bounced up and down rapidly. I sighed, scooting closer to him and interlocking my fingers with his.

“You’re nervous about what we’re about to do?”

“Kind of,” Noah admitted, but his playful smirk returned. Noah hated to show how nervous he really was. “I think I’m more nervous that there’s a beautiful girl touching me right now.”

I rolled my eyes and snorted. “Yeah right.”

“No, I’m serious. You’re really beautiful,” Noah complimented with a small smile on his face and tucked a strand of my curled hair behind my ear.

“Are you sure it isn’t because I’m wearing tight jeans and Paige’s blouse really hugs my pea sized breast?”

Noah chuckled – a rich deep tone that caused my heart to skip a beat. He cupped my face in his warm hand. “Even when you’re throwing up or drooling all over my pillows, you still managed to convince me that you’re incredibly beautiful – inside and out.”

“Hmm,” I muttered, my heart beating wildly when his gaze lazily fell to my lips. “I never pegged you for the cheesy type of guy. This is a really corny moment.”

“This is when you return the compliment.”

My lips brushed against his electrifying ones when I spoke. “I guess you’re beautiful too – “

There was a loud knock on Noah’s window. Noah pulled away with a groan and stared as Callum looked at the both of us irately. Paige and Leon, who were behind him, doubled over in laughter.

 “Can you two stop being horny for a couple of hours and get out of the damn truck already?” he yelled through the glass.

“Dude, why are you so mad – “ Noah started, but Callum opened the door angrily.

My eyes fell to his shirt. A wretched smell caused my nose to wrinkle up in disgust. “What the hell is all that white stuff on your shirt?”

Noah leaned back from him with knitted eyebrows. “Why is there green stuff in it?”

“He tried to break up a fight between these two drunk kids – “ Leon said between fits of laughter. “But one kid got sick and threw up all over him!”

Callum glared at Leon before looking back at us. “Come on, we better get started. And watch where you’re going. There’s fucking vomit everywhere. Kyle’s a fucking idiot. Mom’s going to kill us for this!”

Callum’s life story was as complicated as a crossword puzzle with no hints. For a person who was as comical and cheerful as he, it was hard to believe that his life was not easy.

He was only five when both his parents left him. He didn’t know why, which caused havoc in his life for all these years. Rich Campbell, a wealthy founder of a trading company, had adopted him because he couldn’t bear children of his own. Rich’s wife left him a few months later, wanting biological kids of her own. Four years later, he married a woman with a son the same age as Callum – Kyle Montgomery.

I liked to think Callum’s situation was bittersweet. Although it sucked that his birthing parents were complete strangers to him and he had to deal with a feeling of rejection, he still had Rich and his “mom”. From what I heard, they loved him unconditionally and treated him as if they were his own. Kyle was a whole different story.

Kyle was angry. He hated the fact that his mother “had the audacity to marry another man just because her husband died”. According to Callum, they rarely got along. Towards his family, he was constantly rebellious and livid.

This party he threw for Bellevue High – the school he attended although his brother went to East Carteret – was one of a myriad of actions that proved he was a troubled kid. It was a typical high school party. His parents were unaware of it. Half naked teenagers ran in the large yard. A group of kids smoked illegal substances near the trees. Couples tore at each other’s clothing despite the crowd. Cups of alcohol were practically in the hands of every teenager. Bodies pressed against each other, moving to the beat of the obnoxious music. Trash, clothes, liquids, broken glass, food, and strange substances were littered throughout the mini mansion. My ears ached from the loudness of it all, my stomach turned from the wretched smell, all my senses reacted horribly to my surroundings. 

The Bellevue High bulldogs literally acted like dogs.

“Hey, let go of me,” I warned through clenched teeth at a male in a varsity jacket. He laughed, keeping his arm around my waist. The smell of alcohol reeked from his breath.

The more I tried to push him away, the more his hold on me tightened. My skin crawled when I felt his fingers brush against my bare arm. “I’ve never seen you around Bellevue High before. Why don’t we go somewhere private? I’d love to see what’s underneath those clothes.”

He would’ve been handsome if it weren’t for his mouth or his perverted mind. “I’d love to chop off what’s underneath your clothes so I could stick it into your own butthole. Do me a favor. Let go of me and penetrate yourself.”

“Maybe you could talk dirty to me in bed,” he suggested with a lazy wink. I shivered in disgust, trying with all my might to break away from his iron grip. “I could penetrate you – “

Noah suddenly returned to my side. He ripped the creep’s arm off my body. Noah pushed me behind his towering frame, obscuring me from the perverted creep. The muscles underneath his thin t-shirt were taut, a clear sign that he was angry.

“Don’t fucking touch my girlfriend,” Noah growled.

The pervert chuckled although this situation was nothing remotely funny. I sensed Noah’s tolerance was quickly slipping. A few people glanced at the scene with curiosity. The creep in the varsity jacket was useless – a nobody. He wasn’t worth it.

“C’mon Noah,” I urged, slipping my fingers between his own and squeezing his hand. “He’s not worth it.”

I felt Noah tremble with anger. “He touched you.”

Although I was extremely grossed out and inwardly angered by the fact, I shrugged. “Walk away.” 

I tugged Noah’s hand and towed him behind me without hearing his response. The creep resumed with his laughter, high fiving his best bud. I was nothing but relieved when distance and people were put between us. I exhaled a shaky breath.

Once we found ourselves behind our best friends again, Noah slung his arm around my shoulders protectively. I inched closer into his side, still uneasy from the previous event. I watched as our friends pushed people out of our way, trying to calm my heartbeat. Noah softly pressed his lips into my temple.

“All these horny dickheads are staring at you. I think it’s a bad idea that you wore those clothes,” he muttered, his lips brushing against my ear. I felt his lips turn up into a teasing smile. “Or well, it’s not that bad but I think I should be the only one who gets to see it.”

My eyebrows hitched upwards. “Sorry, bud, but you better soak it all in because I’m never wearing these clothes again.”

“As long as your safe and nobody wants to … harass you, then I’m fine.”

My heart warmed at his words. A blush colored my cheeks. Was it possible for one guy to be so sweet?

I shook my head in disbelief and held the hand that rested atop my shoulder. “How did I get so lucky?”

Noah smirked. “Trust me. I ask myself the same question.”

“You know, you’re incredibly sappy and corny.”

“Well, I can’t help myself. I’m a natural ladies man,” he joked arrogantly.

I rolled my eyes in sarcasm. “Right, because the first time you bluntly criticized me on my ‘staring problem’, I was so turned on by you.”

“It’s not my fault you feel obliged to stare at all this hotness.” He shrugged with a small smile tugging at his lips.

Callum led us up the stairs into his room. He was smart enough to keep his doors locked. I was certain he didn’t want to lie down in a bed and feel … something wet and something that belonged to another male or an estranged female.

“Stay here,” Callum ordered with a hint of annoyance. “I’ll go find that idiot.”

He left, locking the doors behind him. Leon plunked down on the couch, throwing a nearby baseball up and down in the air. Noah paced back in forth in apprehension. Paige comfortably plopped down on Callum’s made bed and closed her eyes. I simply stared at my friends.

The corners of Leon’s lip curved upwards at Paige’s action. “Looks like you’re extremely used to being there, Pay.”

“Shut up,” Paige muttered. “I don’t want to hear your mouth. There’s too much noise.”

I grimaced at the clothes I borrowed from Paige. “Why are you wearing more modest clothes than I? You’re basically covered up and I’m wearing clothes as tight as a second skin.”

“I thought it’d be funny to see Noah all flustered,” she bluntly said, a smirk on her face. “I was right. I had to contain my laughter when he stared at your ass and bit his lip.”

My face flushed. I looked at Noah in accusation. “Noah!”

Noah narrowed his eyes at Paige and digressed. “Can we not bring that up right now? Kyle is coming up soon.”

Noah was usually as nervous as he was when he was about to work on his case. I felt nervous for him. I wished I could be like my best friends who although knew about the real story behind Nick’s death, was calm and composed. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans when Callum’s door opened.

Noah stopped pacing back and forth. Leon stood up with his jaw clenched. Paige’s eyes snapped open as the door slammed shut and she glared at Kyle with disgust. Well, my judgment was completely off. My best friends were just as uneasy as I was.

Kyle – curly brown hair, brown eyes, and a muscular build – entered the room cautiously with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets. Callum quickly turned the lock of his door and stood between his brother and the exit. Kyle’s eyebrows hitched upwards as he stared at each of us impassively.

He glanced back at Callum. “Okay, what the fuck is going on? I thought you were going to give me more money for alcohol.”

“Like that’s going to happen. Didn’t you learn your lesson the last time?” Callum replied harshly with the roll of his eyes.

“I thought we agreed to keep that in the past.”

“Like we’re going to keep this shitty ass party in the past? God, Kyle, we’re all on probation! We could get into deep shit for this!”

Kyle rolled his eyes and plopped down into Callum’s computer chair stoically. His calm façade was questionable.  However, I didn’t miss the way his eyes skipped over Noah quickly. There was an elephant in the room and Kyle chose to ignore it.

Kyle smirked, a sign that he wasn’t so expressionless. “We won’t if we don’t get caught.”

I wasn’t sure what made me feel edgy around him. Was it his frightening calm around us and Noah like the calm before a storm? Or was it his willingness to take risks and not get caught? There was something about him that caused the hairs at the nape of my neck to stand on end.

Whatever it was, I didn’t trust Kyle Montgomery.

“Bueno,basta de tonterías!” Paige blurted in exasperation. Her outburst only seemed to humor Kyle. He turned in his seat to look at her. Paige stood up and crossed her arms over her torso.

“Ah, Paige, your presence has always been more bearable when I can’t understand a word you say,” Kyle replied.

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Callum snapped at the same time Paige rolled her eyes and muttered, “Ass.”

Kyle shrugged. “I’m just telling you the truth, brother.”

“Well then. Since you’re so into committing to truth now-a-days, why don’t you tell us what happened that night?” Noah finally spoke, his tone equally as calm and terrifying as Kyle’s own. His bitter smile caused a shiver to run down the length of my spine. “I know you know something, Kyle.”

Kyle fidgeted in his chair, but his face remained bored. Noah scared him. “I told you countless times before that I don’t remember anything.”

However, there was an edge to his voice. He glanced away when he spoke his words. I stood silently, studying his every move.

“Don’t fucking lie to us!” Callum yelled.

Kyle put his hands up to show that he was no threat. “Bro, calm down! I’m not lying.”

“Yes, you are. I could tell you are. You looked away. You always look away when you lie.”

“Maybe I couldn’t stand staring at Noah for more than three seconds.”

“Why? Scared?” Leon interjected, staring straight at Kyle.

Kyle’s eyes narrowed as they focused on Leon. “Who the fuck are you?”

“You didn’t answer the question.” Leon smirked.

I didn’t miss the way Kyle’s eyes moved again. “No, why would I be scared of Callaway?”

“Not that question. What happened that night, Kyle?”

“I don’t know anything, okay? I wasn’t even there.” Lies. All lies.

Noah’s terrifying smile grew even more. “Now, I would have believed you if it weren’t for the video that was on your brother’s phone. Brian Priestley – “

“Priestley?” Kyle asked in stun, eyebrows rose. His resolve was slipping. He sounded angry.

Paige rolled her eyes. “Yeah, idiota. Your best friend.”

Kyle rolled his eyes, but let Noah continue. “Brian told me you were with us that night. Before I blacked out, I vaguely remember that you and Jesse left to go to another bar so there was no way you were drugged too. Did you drug us, Kyle?”

“What the hell? Of course I didn’t!”

“We have pictures, videos - we saw you slipping something into their drinks,” Leon lied to push him to tell the truth. “We saw you and Jesse holding a bat – “

“Are you implying that I was behind all of this?” Kyle scoffed and laughed bitterly. “This is ridiculous. Yeah, you’re right. We hung out with you guys that night but we left early to go to a cheaper bar. You want to know what the fuck happened that night? We all got drunk and wasted and it was all our faults.”

Paige shook her head in disbelief. “You’re still lying.”

“Just tell us the fucking truth,” Callum asked tiredly.

Noah simply stared at him. “We’re not leaving until you do.”

Leon crossed his arms over his chest and lied again, “We could show those videos to the cops.”

“Shut up!” Kyle stood up from his chair, knocking it straight to the ground. He looked as if he were about to cry in anger. “I had nothing to do with Nick’s death, all right? This is all bull shit! Like I said, we left the bar early. Yeah, we weren’t fucking drugged. Someone else did that. Someone else fucking framed Noah. Man, I’m sorry that you have to deal with all this crap especially after your brother’s death, but you got to believe me.

“I didn’t kill him. I was drunk as hell. Jesse knocked out when we met you at the field. When I showed up, Nick was pissed off about a fight he had with Brian because he thought Nick cheated on him with Chelsea. Someone showed up with the fucking bat. We all made a run for our cars. We thought you two were okay, but the next morning we heard the news and – “ Kyle stopped and looked down. He inhaled a shaky breath. “I regretted that we left you two.”

It was dead silent. Everyone refused to look at Kyle who glared right back at them. Callum scratched the back of his head and wiped at a tear furiously. Noah looked down and ran a hand through his hair tiredly. Leon and Paige looked at each other awkwardly. I, however, looked straight at Kyle. I didn’t even cringe when he stared harshly into my eyes.

“You got something to say, Blondie? Or are you going to just stare at me the whole time?”

With a voice as calm as the ocean, I asked what I’ve been dying to ask him. “Who came with the bat?”

Kyle stuffed his hands in his pockets and kept his eyes trained on the door as he walked towards it. “I don’t know.”

“I think you’re lying,” I said with clarity, stopping him in his tracks. “You do know who was there. Why are you scared?”

Kyle stared harshly at me and then Noah before exiting the room. “Ridiculous. Fucking ridiculous what we do for the ones we love.”